The Angel Forming a Club (6)
Sometimes, there are words it's hard to react to. Words that spark fierce conflicts, events that reawaken old hatreds, language that makes people realize why they hate each other, or words that leave lifelong scars despite just flicking off the tongue for a few seconds.
Power was one such word.
So Refri couldn't react easily.
'This is power...? This kind of thing...'
Moreover, the power Hexi was displaying was the very same that had tormented Refri in his previous life throughout it all.
'And the picture it paints is just too ugly.'
Think about it. A professor retaliating against students using her authority? It was a situation that could only bring backlash.
But the fallen angel Refri in his heart muttered.
'So what? If we smash the student council this time, won't it make school life easier?'
Yet Refri could only look at the teary-eyed student council member amid Hexi's rampage as the artificial hero.
That student didn't look like some wicked villain.
'The student council tried to screw you and Yumari over. And they'll do it again in the future. What's wrong with getting revenge first?'
Refri couldn't easily answer such mutterings from his fallen angel side.
Seeing that, Hexi murmured.
"Good thing. As expected, even Angel-nim agrees with this sort of thing."
And then she said things like, "Then... shall we really turn this place upside down today?" while pulling out her weapons.
"Wait a second..."
The student council was, literally, the academy students' autonomous organization. If a professor angrily dismantled it, there'd be no good outcome. Everyone involved would face severe criticism.
"Hey, you. Who are you reporting to right now?"
"T-to the other department's office..."
"Didn't you hear me? I told you to handle this first. You'll get penalty points too..."
But Hexi didn't care and wielded her power so naturally. She truly was a princess through and through.
And the archery department seniors who kept popping up slyly...
"Hey, you. Can't you hear the professor? What are you hiding?!"
They chimed in, cheering Hexi on. Some even flipped over student council furniture, ready to dismantle the whole thing on this chance.
'I...'
Truth be told, Refri didn't even need to make a club. With the professors' biased protection, he wouldn't get kicked out of the cathedral.
But Refri wanted to attend the academy while getting along with the other students.
And among those students were...
The student council. Even if his fallen angel side refused to acknowledge it.
At that moment, Hexi stood in the center and muttered.
"Ha, they won't listen to me. Are they that scared of the student council president?"
"P-Professor. This is overstepping your authority."
One student council member clutched documents to their chest, eyes brimming with tears.
But Hexi and the archery department, who had always suffered under the Seocheon Yu family and student council, showed no sign of stopping.
"Overstepping? Since when did the student council have the authority for that? You Seocheon Yu family dogs only come to your senses after seeing blood?"
"Exactly, Professor. Oh, this document... something's off about it."
"Collect them all. There must be more than a few dirty pieces of evidence."
They grew even more aggressive.
'...It's just like the spirit blessing incident. The ones who really get punished will walk away scot-free, and it'll just be these low-level student council members who suffer. This kind of thing...'
Refri felt what he had to do as an angel.
Angels were beings who performed good deeds, gaining Angel Power through them.
Then his inner fallen angel cried out in rage.
'You gonna play the sucker like this? The student council is your enemy...! You're gonna stop them for your enemies with zero gain...?'
Refri began his careful excuse.
'This isn't for those students. How to put it... R-right. I'm doing it to suck some honey!'
And he added.
'...Hmph, I really don't like the student council, but as an angel, I have no choice. It's to gain Angel Power this time and build some rapport with them.'
Honeybee angel Refri buzzed, ready to suck honey.
But the fallen angel didn't give up and shouted again.
'So? You think the student council will thank you for stopping Hexi? They'll just see you as a useful sucker!'
'If they see me as a sucker, that's even better.'
Refri smiled.
'I can use the student council in the next club tournament...!'
Refri looked at Hexi and said.
"Professor Hexi."
"Yeah. Today, the student council will pay for their arrogance. All the atrocities they've committed while lording over other students—even professors—none will escape discipline. Especially the ones who tormented Refri..."
Hexi glared coldly at the student council members.
The gathered student council members thought: Hexi, who had suddenly bared her fangs at the Seocheon Yu family, had caught them on technicalities—they'd surely all get penalty points or discipline.
Well, they could handle that much.
But the real issue was... an enraged Hexi didn't seem like she'd stop at mere discipline.
Students were students, no matter the student council, and these were just grunts. They couldn't withstand a furious professor's revenge.
If she kept nitpicking and dragged them to a disciplinary committee...
If major punishments were confirmed there...
'Expulsion...?'
The student council members began trembling slightly.
As they lost hope, an angelic voice came from the side.
"Please stop."
"...Huh?"
Refri looked at Hexi and repeated.
"Please stop."
"...Why?"
Truth be told, Refri had plenty of grudges against the Central Academy student council. From the biased spirit blessing judgment to this club application...
'I want to cheer Hexi on too. But...'
Still, Refri didn't see the entire student council as villains. He thought they just followed President Yusihyun's orders... or the mainstream followed the Seocheon Yu family's will.
'So many heroes come from the student council... And if I get friendly with them now...?'
With resolve, Refri slowly began his explanation.
"Professor Hexi, please stop."
Hexi panicked. Refri had clashed hard with the student council over the spirit blessing. She thought he'd love seeing them get revenge.
'Something Angel-nim would like...'
Hexi said in confusion.
"Refri. But..."
"Professor, that senior said they'd process the club paperwork right away. So why keep picking fights over other stuff?"
People were shocked. First the student council, then the archery students.
The student council was stunned someone dared say that to the ruthless Professor Hexi.
"Making such unreasonable demands on students who can't resist a professor's authority... that's not right!"
The archery students were stunned that Refri boldly spoke truth to Professor Hexi.
'No way, Refri—that boy...'
'We rigged the spirit blessing to screw him over...'
And Refri knew. He even had video evidence.
Yet here he was, protecting them against the terrifying Professor Hexi. When she could get them all expelled.
'Protecting us? If we egged her on more, she could've wiped us all out... And we've done everything to destroy that boy...'
The student council felt a deep emotion.
Guilt.
'Why...'
No matter that they'd joined for success and promotion... they couldn't ignore this feeling.
'What have we done to that angelic kid...'
The student council members couldn't lift their heads.
Meanwhile, the watching archery students thought:
'Defying the professor's will? A weak superhuman who couldn't even claim top freshman spot?'
But deep down, they had to admit:
'...He's speaking truth. Like the legendary loyal retainers.'
The otherworld empire was an absolute monarchy. Yet legends remained of retainers who risked death to remonstrate.
The empire's noble archery students couldn't help recalling those legends upon seeing Refri.
"Why...?"
Hexi asked Refri again.
The student council and archery students trembled in fear, watching her next move. Would she punish the boy? Get angry? Or...?
"Refri, are you mad at me?"
Everyone was stunned. The professor rumored most brutal was clinging to a boy, voice quivering.
"...No."
"Then why say that?"
Hexi's pressure was immense. Even as an artificial hero from otherworld magic engineering... she was the last hero left in this world.
And a warrior who'd amassed power through countless battles.
Her killing intent...
Made surrounding students shudder.
But Refri gained strong will when doing right.
Angels grow stronger when doing the right thing!
Refri stood before the intent-spewing Hexi and boldly stated his opinion.
"Because you're doing something wrong, Professor. Even if the student council acts unreasonably... pushing back with a professor's power without due process isn't right!"
Opposing unjust power is angelic!
You have acquired Angel Power.
"Sniff."
Hexi sniffled.
No one but Refri had expected this.
'Hexi sniffling? That madness-filled professor?'
The student council couldn't believe it.
'The princess shedding tears?'
Nor the archery students.
But for Refri, it was as expected.
Heroes and angels depended on each other. As the world's last angel, if he scolded... the hero had no choice but to listen.
Refri thought Hexi's tears inevitable... and had chosen words to maximize incoming Angel Power.
"Refri... don't hate me..."
"I don't hate you."
Feeling the Angel Power flow in, Refri looked at the student council members and said.
"Then we'll be going... Please take care of the club application!"
Refri bowed 90 degrees.
The dazed student council members from the chaos could only reply vigorously.
"Yes!"
"...Then, good work!"
Thus, Hexi and Refri left the student council headquarters.
"Th-they're gone?"
"Yeah."
Only then did the student council members sigh deeply and discuss what they'd witnessed.
Hexi, freed from Seocheon Yu control, had come for revenge with the archery department...
But Refri bravely stopped and persuaded her.
'Refri has every reason to see us as enemies...'
And more shockingly, Hexi complied with Refri's words.
'She can control Professor Hexi? Even the mighty Seocheon Yu failed?'
The student council executives realized the gravity.
Recruiting Hexi with Seocheon Yu power and wealth had failed, of course. Even the dangerously addictive nadir drug hadn't controlled her.
Yet a mere boy could...?
'...Unbelievable.'
Hours after Refri and Hexi left, the incident was reported upward.
The report brimmed with bias. Objective criticism filled it for Hexi and her archery entourage...
But for one boy, Refri, it held subtle praise and restrained admiration that hid ulterior motives.
The recipient said.
"Controlled Hexi? See? I was right."
"...I didn't expect this either."
"Idiot. How'd you miss something so obvious? Hexi has no choice but to follow the angel. Heroes are pitiful creatures like that. Like me... like us Mari..."
The girl spoke—the only current academy student with extreme ki, Central Academy's undisputed strongest.
"Finally..."
Sipping her black tea, she said.
"It's certain. That boy is..."
Uttering the unbelievable.
"An angel. Fallen to earth."
The girl smiled. Her long, swaying black hair framed unbelievable beauty. Her neat fashion and plain uniform only highlighted her goddess-like looks.
She resembled Yumari somewhere.
Her name was Yusihyun.
"No way, President. Angels didn't appear even when the otherworld empire fell..."
One executive shouted desperately. He'd barely escaped discipline thanks to Refri stopping Hexi. He felt guilt and gratitude toward Refri.
Yusihyun looked at him coldly.
"Bewitched by an angel?"
The executive hurried to explain.
"N-no. I just mean... angels didn't show even for something as trivial as the otherworld empire's fall..."
Flustered—Yusihyun smirked slightly and said.
"Right, right. Angels didn't appear even when the Demon King rose and the otherworld empire fell."
Yusihyun. At Central Superhuman Academy, known as student council president.
Outside, called the child-eater witch, true head of Seocheon Yu, hero's reincarnation.
She said.
"But just because they didn't descend when the otherworld empire fell... doesn't mean an angel can't descend now, right?"
The girl smiled naturally. Nothing like Yumari's fake one.
"President... there are no angels...!"
"No, even I know angels exist, idiot."
Student Council President Yusihyun sipped her tea.
"That kid's an angel. Definitely."
She declared Refri an angel with conviction.
"And as Seocheon Yu heir..."
Yusihyun spoke as if the sun rises east, seas have tides.
Perfectly natural.
"That kid will be my guardian angel."